Means for closing or opening shutters.



No. 643,2I7. Patented Feb. I3, |900. W. J. WUODCOCK.

MEANS FOR CLOSING 0R OPENING SHUTTERS.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1899.)

No. 643,2l7. I Patenten Feb. 13, |900. w. J. wuuncocK.

MEANS FOR CLOSING 0B OPENING SHUTTERS.

(Application led Mar. 17, 1899.)

3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

www z Ca .c2/ffm f mmm, 5K2/ ZY/fd Patented. Feb. I3, 190D.

w'. ,L wooncocu. MEANS FOR CLOSING UR OPENING SHUTTERS.

(Application filed Mas. 17, 1899.)`

(No Model.)

WI-TNESSES NVENTOR .4f/MMM WILLIAM J. lVOOD-OOOK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOR TO REUBEN B.

AYRES, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR CLOSlNG OR OPENING SHUTTERS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,217, dated February13, 1900.

Application tiled March 17, 1899. Serial No. 709,529. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that LWILLIAM J .WooDcocK, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Closingor Opening Shutters, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to means of electrically operating shutters forwindows in buildings; and its object is to provide suitable mechanismwhose moving parts are controlled and operated by an electric currentand which moving parts are so arranged and connected to shutters as toenable thelatter to be closed or opened at will bythe operation of aswitch at a distant point. A building having its windows or otheropenings provided with shutters which are equipped with this electricalpower apparatus may have such windows or openings closed instantaneouslyfrom one or more common points in case of an outbreak of iire.

I am aware that various attempts have hitherto been made to providepower means for operating shutters; but since the means devised haveincluded the use of an elaborate system of piping for the conveyance ofthe form of power used, which besides being unsightly entailsconsiderable expense in equipment, said means have not been commerciallysuccessful, and my researches do not show that any practical form ot'applying electrical power has previously been proposed.

Brietly, my invention comprises a simple arrangement of pivoted armsconnected to a shaft near a window, said arms beingattached to theshutters, together with an armature in an electrical field comprisingeithera permament or electro magnet and arranged to turn the shaft,which causes the arms to close or open the shutters, as the case may be,

In the drawings accompanying this application, Figure 1 is an elevationof a pair of shutters fitted with my apparatus looking from the inside.Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a perspective view illustrating the movement of the operating parts.Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the motor employed. Fig. 5 is a detail ofthe operatingarm, showing its construction; and Fig. 6 is a view of aseries of window-openings provided with shutters and showing anelongated shaft extending over said series of shutters, with connectingoperative devices between said shaft and each of the shutters in theseries.

In said figures, A indicates a window-embrasure, and B B indicate a pairof shutters and which are hinged in the ordinary manner to the wall ofthe building.

O indicates a horizontal shaft which is of a length to iit removablywithin the windowembrasure. Said shaft is tit-ted at each end intosleeves c c, being connected to said sleeves in any suitable manner torender it rigid therewith. The sleeves o c themselves are fittedrotatably in sockets o c', which are adjusted within the walls, as seen.The shaft O lies across the window-embrasure, either centrally thereof0r at its lower or upper end, as desired.

Near each end of the shaft O, upon. said shaft, are securely placedcollars D D', and arms E E, which are connected to said collars, extendtherefrom, as seen. For convenience said collars D D and arms E E arepreferably formed in two halves, whereby they may more readily be placedabout the shaft and bolted thereover and because their extreme end is inthe form of a socket e, which It will be observed that theball-and-socket IOO the corresponding pitman for shutter B, the reasonbeing that it is necessary for shutter B to close prior to the closingof shutter B' in order that the latter may overlap the former. By reasonof this elongation said arms Gr describe a greater radius in turning,and thereby close the shutter B more rapidly than and consequentlyinadvance of the shutter B'.

An armature I is placed about and secured upon the shaft C, asindicated, said armature having two north poles n n and two south pole ss. Said armature is placed within the magnetic field I', having a magnetJ. Electrical wires K L connect with the magnet and lead from a dynamoor batteries, (not shown,) which may be situated at any convenient pointin the building. Controlling-wires M N connect With the armature andlead from an operating-switch, (not shown,) which may be situated at anysuitable point in the building where most convenient to access by anopcrator.

In operating the device through the medium of a switch the armature iscaused to rotate a quarterturn, in so doing turning the shaft Caccordingly, and thereby either opening or closing the shutters B B, asmay be desired.

The electrical motor thus described may serve to operate either a shaftfor one window or opening or by elongating said shaft and carrying itthrough or along the wall of the building the said shaft operated by asingle motor may serve for closing and opening the shutters of suchadjacent window or windows, as will be readily perceived. Also it isquite clear that by employing separate shafts for the shutters ofadjacent windows, said separate shafts being connected by suitablegearing, in such instance likewise a single motor may serve to operatethereby the shutters of a series of adjacent windows.

While I have specifically described means whereby the shutters for asingle window may be operated through the medium of a dynamo orelectrical batteries and a switch at a distant point, it is of coursequite obvious that by a proper system of electrical wiring andconnections a single electrical current may be transmitted at one timeto actuatethe shutters for a number or series of windows-as, forinstance, the shutters for all the Windows in a building.

The invention herein disclosed is equally applicable for closing andopening doorways or other coverings for openings of all characters inbuildings, ships,and other structuressuch, forinstance, as bulkheads andthe likeand I do not wish to be limited to any specific application ofthe invention, and

I claim, broadly, as follows:

l. A shutter opening and closing device comprising a rotating shaftsuitably supported, pivotal connections between said shaft and theshutters and an electrical motor secured upon said shaft to turn it.

2. The combination with a window-embrasure and a swinging shuttertherefor, of a shaft rotatably fitted in said embrasure, a pivotalconnection between said shaft and shutter a motor upon said shaft toturn it, whereby the shutter is moved 5 a distant electrical powerapparatus, and electrical connectors between said motor and powerapparatus.

3. The combination with a plurality of window-embras ures each providedwith shutters, of a moving body common to the same and supportedadjacent thereto, and pivotal connectors between said moving body andeach of said shutters, together with a single electrical motor upon saidmoving body to actuate it; a distant source of electrical power, andconnectors therebetween.

4. The combination with a window-embrasure fitted with shutters, of aturnable body bearing an armature in an electrical field to actuate saidshutters.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

W. J. WOODOOOK.

Witnesses:

L. T. SULLIVAN, CHARLES J. IIoEI-INLE.

